NYC braces for multiple daily protests as world leaders arrive for UN General Assembly

Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News on Sep 17, 2026

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NEW YORK — As New York braces for multiple daily protests around this year’s United Nations General Assembly, NYPD officers will flood midtown Manhattan to protect the public and controversial world leaders scheduled to attend, including President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Thursday.

“Every year, we see an uptick in demonstrations and protests coinciding with the U.N. General Assembly, and as always, the NYPD will facilitate First Amendment activity,” Tisch said at a briefing at NYPD headquarters Thursday. “At the same time, there will be intolerance for violence or destruction of property.”

Beginning Friday, the NYPD will be monitoring 55 permitted UNGA-related events, NYPD officials said.

“We’re expecting multiple protests every day,” Tisch added.

There are currently no credible threats against the event, said Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who also attended Thursday’s briefing.

Mamdani did not speak about Netanyahu’s attendance at the U.N. General Assembly, even though he has repeatedly called the Israeli leader a “war criminal” and had demanded his arrest over the war in Gaza just two months earlier.

“He is the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” he said in a video posted online on July 21. “There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.”

Although he vowed to arrest Netanyahu on the warrant during his campaign, he acknowledged in the same July video that New York City “does not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant” and encouraged the federal government to arrest him.

On Wednesday, Mamdani said he will not join the protests that are likely to happen against the Israeli prime minister.

“To New Yorkers, I have never encouraged them to protest. What I have always told them is that they have the right to do so in this city,” Mamdani said. “We respect that right, and this is a city that is proud of the Constitution, proud of the First Amendment, and will continue to do so.”

Danny Danon, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, said Mamdani should be the one in handcuffs.

“If someone should be arrested, it’s Mayor Mamdani,” Danon said Thursday. “The Mayor is supposed to make sure we are going to have a quiet week with less traffic and issues, but he’s doing the exact opposite. He’s inciting, calling on people to demonstrate against our prime minister, but none of that will stop us.”

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will speak about the challenges facing Israel but also of the opportunities we have in the region,” Danon said.

Beginning next week, New Yorkers should expect rolling road closures and “frozen zones” that limit pedestrian and vehicle traffic around the U.N. at 46th St. and First Ave. Transportation in the skies above and ferry service along the East River will also be limited.

Next week’s security measures — which are being coordinated by the NYPD along with the Secret Service, Department of State, FBI and other law enforcement agencies to protect the nearly 200 world leaders attending the U.N. General Assembly as they move about the city — were carefully balanced to both allow for protests and minimize disruption to New Yorkers going about their daily lives, officials said.

The NYC Department of Transportation has issued a gridlock warning beginning on Sept. 21 and ending Sept. 25 to coincide with the yearly event. Mamdani encouraged people to use public transportation whenever possible and allow for extra travel time.

Starting on Sept. 20, First Ave. will be closed from 41st to 48th Sts. during the day while the assembly is in session until Sept. 26.

A flight restriction will also be in place around the U.N., and the NYPD’s counter-drone team will be monitoring for any unauthorized drones.

“Do not fly a drone in the restricted airspace without authorization. Violations may result in an investigation, seizure of the drones, or criminal charges,” Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, warned.

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